...
Next along on this rancid meat train is Prom Night, a film that puts the Ho Hum in Horror.
The Prom is the pinnacle of the year for high school seniors, a chance for students to let their hair down, smuggle in some booze and generally act more annoying that usual.
Our heroine Donna ... Read review
When an innocent game of 'Murder' results in the accidental death of a young girl, the ... more
remaining children involved vow never to tell anyone what happened. Seven years pass and the children are now teenagers, preparing for their Senior Prom. Celebrations are cast aside, however, when each person receives a phone call from someone who witnessed the event all those years ago...
If youre not back by midnight, you wont be coming home...April 1973 - a game of Murder ... more
between schoolfriends results in the tragic, accidental death of a young girl. Terrified of the consequences, the children make a pact never to tell anyone but their actions have been witnessed by someone hiding in the shadows.Seven years pass...Its the anniversary of the little girls death and the same group of schoolfriends are now preparing for their Senior Prom. The preparations are tainted, however, by a series of cryptic phone calls from the person who saw what they did all those years ago. Their Prom Night should be the time of their lives, but none of them bargained an axe-wielding, homicidal maniac coming to the party..This horror pastiche of the slasher genre stars Jamie Lee Curtis (John Carpenters HALLOWEEN, TRUE LIES) and Leslie Nielsen (AIRPLANE, NAKED GUN) and, as a horror movie, it has everything - decapitations, revenge, axe-murders and escaped lunatics, all to the beat of a pounding Disco soundtrack. PROM NIGHT was nominated for Best Actress (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Best Film Editing in Canadas 1980 Genie Awards.
Three years ago, Donna (Brittany Snow, John Tucker Must Die) watched in horror as an ... more
obsessed predator (Johnathon Schaech, That Thing You Do!) murdered her family. Tonight is her senior prom and although she's anxious about the past, she's excited to celebrate her future with her friends. What Donna doesn't know is that the deranged psychopath has escaped from the asylum. He's returned to hunt her down, intent on killing anyone who gets in his way. As the night races towards its heart-pounding conclusion, the question becomes not who will be prom queen, but who will survive the killer's rampage.
Production Year: 2000 - Horror - Director: Keenen Ivory Wayans - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: Carmen Electra, Anna Faris, Kurt Fuller, James Van Der Beek, Keenen Ivory Wayans
Advantages: It's under 90-minutes Disadvantages: Tired old cliches of genre, no scares, tame
...this rancid meat train is Prom Night, a film that puts the Ho Hum in Horror.
The Prom is the pinnacle of the year for high school seniors, a chance for students to let their hair down, smuggle in some booze and generally act more annoying that usual.
Our heroine Donna is dressed up and ready to move on with her life. She's still suffering the mental scars of having her family murdered by her former teacher who took obsession ... ...having probably watched it before delving into the extras it makes them pretty pointless.
- Finally -
Prom Night is a bloodless, empty souled film devoid of any originality or craft - why not switch off your TV and do something more interesting instead. ... more
Has it really come to this? We're now being offered up remakes of seventies horror films that aren't even remakes, they're just borrowing the name.
Next along on this rancid meat train is Prom Night, a film that puts the Ho Hum in Horror.
The Prom is the pinnacle of the year for high school seniors, a chance for students to let their hair down, smuggle in some booze and generally act more annoying that usual.
Our heroine Donna is dressed up and ready to move on with her life. She's still suffering the mental scars of having her family murdered by her former teacher who took obsession to a whole new level. But as the prom get's underway, wouldn't you know it, the crazy killer has escaped from his mental institution and is ready to put his knife skills in operation.
What ensues for about 80-minutes is bland and boring mix of the usual slasher film clichés intermixed with stilted dialogue and thrills so cheap that even Primark would think twice about stocking them.
The acting is your usual sub standard level but I can't really put all this on our actors. The script comes from JS Cardone, the man who penned a similar load of dreck called The Convenant. The dialogue is incredibly ropey and none of the characters are interesting. You have your usual bitchy school girl and her little gang, the horny black teenager and a couple who are fighting because they're moving away from each other to different universities. The only surprise to me was that all of these characters didn't get offed as you usually expect it. Did I also mention that out heroines boyfriend looks closer to thirty rather than a teen, a glance on IMDB confirms it.
The direction is limp from the start and the scares are non-existent, it relys on the usual trick of using a musical cue to inspire a scare. Anyway you want a character looking in bathroom cabinet, only to find the killer behind her when she closes the mirrored door - it's here. Bodies dropping from wardrobes, inept cops, anything you can think of, it's all here.
Please do not waste your time with this movie, it really does stink and doesn't have any redeeming qualities in it's favour.
- The DVD -
Of course the transfer is pretty good stuff and the soundtrack is nice and punchy, that's all.
- Extras -
There is a cast and crew commentary track but honestly why would I want to sit through the film again.
An alternate ending is not even a minute and is merely a freeze frame and voice over.
The deleted scenes are all bland offcuts featuring snippets of dialogue that still remain inane blather.
Other than that you have some trailers and the usual brief collection of featurettes that try and sell the movie, having probably watched it before delving into the extras it makes them pretty pointless.
- Finally -
Prom Night is a bloodless, empty souled film devoid of any originality or craft - why not switch off your TV and do something more interesting instead.
Advantages: Funny violence Disadvantages: predictable, no real "horror"
The other day, looking for something that wasn't going to be a thinker, I watched this expecting your average teen horror flick. I was pretty much on the money. There is another film of the same name from 1980 starring Jamie Lee Curtis, but the plot is totally different.
Plot
Donna Keppel is just coming to terms with the horrific murders of her family by a teacher of hers who became infatuated and obssessed. He claimed to have "killed them for ... ...live with her aunt and uncle and, through counselling and her good friends and boyfriend, Bobby (they're always called Bobby, aren't they?), starts to gain her life back. Unfortunately for her, just because he's in jail doesn't mean Mr Fenton is going to give up. He somehow escapes from maximum security jail just in time for her senior prom, and makes his way to the hotel where he checks into a room near Donna's group after overhearing her friends ...
bamamo 22.08.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Prom Night (DVD)
Advantages: Chosen to reboot of the original Prom Night instead of remaking Disadvantages: Average characters and predicatable ending
...to the day of her prom and she is finally ready to move on and have the night of her life. The venue is set, the limo is on order and the after party hotel is booked for Donna (Snow) and her friends. But the sadistic killer that tore her life apart has come home to prove he is the only man for Donna, and he will stop at nothing at getting what he wants. ***Honest opinion*** The film thankfully was not a remake of the original instead the directors ... ...some of the terrible remakes that have been released in the last couple of years. In my opinion the film is cheesy and the characters are your typical all American teenagers who are looking to let loose with a night of fun and frolics. The ending is predictable and its not a typically scary film, so you wont be scared to watch this in the dark but it will keep you on the edge of your seats. In some cases I found myself screaming at the screen shouting ...
clumsy221 31.10.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Prom Night (DVD)
Prom night is yet another remake about Donna Keppel, a girl, who, three years ago, saw her mother murdered before her very eyes by Richard Fenton, one of her high school teachers who has become obsessed with her. Tonight, it's her senior prom, and along with her friends, want to make it a night to remember. And it will be, but for all the wrong reasons...
If you're a fan of horror movies, avoid this, you've seen much better elsewhere. If not, don't ... ...a horror movie can be, quite the opposite in fact.
The cliches are too many to count. Everyone is impossibly handsome, you've got generic rock/indie band # 40987 playing tunes you won't remember 5 minutes from now and the characters barely register. The general shock tricks are pulled out here, from characters appearing out of the darkness to suspense building before a character looks around/seen behind them. But they never really work, you're just ...
Walter_Kovacs 20.12.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Prom Night (DVD)
Advantages: American people get killed... Disadvantages: They filmed it...
We headed home from our New Year's Eve celebrations at about 1 / 1.30am - having a baby to get back to tends to make you leave earlier, especially when the other 'alfs Mum has stayed up waiting!
So, because he knows we've had a few to drink and that we just want to chill out, have a couple more and then head to sleep, the baby is of course having a terrible night and wont settle down well.
So, as we're awake, we decide to order a film from box-office, ... ...horror film to finish off the evening.
It is a classic story of American teens going to some sort of party, on this occasion their proms and there being some sort of maniac there trying to kill someone.
And of course, what classic American teenager death film would be complete without the classic "Oh good the front door, no wait...the stairs leading up to where there is no escape - that's a much better idea!" from the ditzy woman trying to escape ...
paulgood529 07.01.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Prom Night (DVD)
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Advantages: Good Old Fashioned 1980's Horror/Thriller. Disadvantages: A little bit dark in places.
PromNight The Original 1980:
I first watched PromNight many years ago when I was a teenager and I remember it as quite a scary horror movie of it's time. Maybe because it was one of the first horror films I had actually watched that made me remember it so well. Well I just recently picked PromNight up quite cheaply on DVD and thought I would add it to my collection as it is a good film and one that I had enjoyed. My friends and I all talked about this film at School also I remember because of it's good and very original storyline (at that time) and because we all watched it under age really.
Well PromNight was made in 1980 and stars Leslie Nielsen and Jamie Lee Curtis one of my favourite actresses from this era. The Movie is also directed by Paul Lynch. It was filmed in London Ontario Canada and was re-made last year ...
Advantages: Good casting Disadvantages: Quality and effects (but it is nearly 30 years old!)
I bought this movie quite cheap, so I wasn't really expecting to be the best movie in the world, but it had Jamie Lee Curtis and Leslie Neilson staring in it so I thought that maybe it had some creditability.
The movie looks to me like an early day slasher type movie (such as scream, I know what you did last summer, etc). The storyline revolves people that have seen something happen in their younger years and swear each other to silence. Their secret comes back to haunt them (of course), and on their promnight, no less.
For a movie of it's time (1980) the storyline is I guess, not bad. If you are looking for a gory type horror, making you want to cover your eyes then you may be disappointed with this, but it did make me jump a few times! The acting was good, not as cheesy as what I thought it would be when I first put ...
beckster83 18.10.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Prom Night (DVD)
Advantages: SPECIAL FEATURES ARE QUITE GOOD, EXCELLENT HUMOUR Disadvantages: NONE
When I bought a DVD Player American Pie was one of the first DVD’sI bought.
The film a hilarious comedy, starring Jason Biggs, Eddie Kaye Thomas Chris Klein and Thomas Ian Nicholas. They star as four teenagers who make a pact to lose their virginity by promnight. Of course, the film follows them as they attempt to keep their side of the pact and how everything doesn’t go to plan.
The DVD contains English language and subtitles only with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. As with all DVD’s the picture quality is excellent.
Extra features
The extra features contained on the disc are in most cases excellent quality
There is a feature length commentary that includes the producers and casts opinions on the film.
There is a ‘bloopers’ section (which if you haven’t seen the film before ...
Contains infrequent strong violence and sustained threat
Video Category
Feature Film
Country Of Origin
United States of America
Plot
It's been three years since her family was murdered by a teacher obsessed with her, and Donna (Brittany Snow) is getting ready to go to the prom with her boyfriend, Bobby (Scott Porter). Now living with her aunt and uncle, Donna has just started having nightmares again about the tragedy, especially the part where she was hiding under the bed as she watched the teacher, Richard Fenton (Johnathon Schaech), kill her mother. On prom night, Detective Winn (Idris Elba, THE WIRE), who handled the original case, is suddenly told that three days ago Fenton had broken out of the psychiatric hospital where he was imprisoned, and is now missing. With a strong suspicion that Fenton will be heading after Donna to fulfil what he believes is his destiny--to be with her. Winn and Detective Nash (James Ransone) go to the prom, which is being held in a lavish hotel, to keep their eyes on Donna and to watch out for Fenton. But Fenton is a crafty villain, already on another murderous rampage as he makes his way toward Donna, who he believes belongs to him and only him.
Cast and director commentary, Alternate ending plus commentary, Behind the scenes featurettes, Gag reel, Deleted scenes plus commentary
Aspect Ratio
2.40 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1
Dubbing Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1 Czech English Hungarian
Professional reviews
Review
A surprisingly effective teen skewing thriller that soft pedals graphic violence (in marked contrast to the R rated 1980 original) while generating a fair degree of suspense (Variety, 09/09/2008)
DVD Description
It's been three years since her family was murdered by a teacher obsessed with her, and Donna (Brittany Snow) is getting ready to go to the prom with her boyfriend, Bobby (Scott Porter). Now living with her aunt and uncle, Donna has just started having nightmares again about the tragedy, especially the part where she was hiding under the bed as she watched the teacher, Richard Fenton (Johnathon Schaech), kill her mother. On prom night, Detective Winn (Idris Elba, THE WIRE), who handled the original case, is suddenly told that three days ago Fenton had broken out of the psychiatric hospital where he was imprisoned, and is now missing. With a strong suspicion that Fenton will be heading after Donna to fulfil what he believes is his destiny--to be with her. Winn and Detective Nash (James Ransone) go to the prom, which is being held in a lavish hotel, to keep their eyes on Donna and to watch out for Fenton. But Fenton is a crafty villain, already on another murderous rampage as he makes his way toward Donna, who he believes belongs to him and only him. Nelson McCormick's remake of the 1980 thriller PROM NIGHT, which starred scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis, has been completely reimagined by screenwriter J. S. Cardone. Instead of focusing on the body count and grisly methods of murder, McCormick--who has directed episodes of such hit television shows as E.R., COLD CASE, and HOUSE--delves more into the mind of the characters, especially Donna, Fenton, and Winn. The creepy mood is enhanced by cinematographer Checco Varese's shadowy photography and Paul Haslinger's eerie score. Dana Davis gives an excellent supporting performance as Donna's friend Lisa, who is determined to be named prom queen over snobby rich girl Crissy Lynn (Brianne Davis).
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